A Sokoto Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday admitted Shafi’u Umar, exSpecial Assistant to former Governor Aminu Tambuwal, to N1 million bail. Umar, 37, is charged with alleged circulation of falsehood against Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his wife on social media.

The case was first mentioned on August 26, and the police prosecutor, Inspector Abdurahman Mansur, said the offence contravened the penal code law. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the defendant committed the offence on July 18.

The prosecution said the defendant circulated a video of the governor’s wife, Hajia Fatima Aliyu, “spraying” money during her birthday despite the economic hardships faced by citizens.

Umar was also accused of sharing a document that indicated that Aliyu failed his Senior Secondary School Examination, scored F9 and is incapable of speaking English. The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in correctional centre custody.